go ballistic

go bal·lis·tic

G g

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [goh buh-lis-tik]
- /goʊ bəˈlɪs tɪk/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [goh buh-lis-tik]
- /goʊ bəˈlɪs tɪk/

Definitions of go ballistic words

adjective go ballistic of or relating to ballistics. 1
adjective go ballistic having its motion determined or describable by the laws of exterior ballistics. 1
idioms go ballistic go ballistic, Informal. to become overwrought or irrational: went ballistic over the idea of a tax hike. 1
phrase go ballistic If someone goes ballistic, they suddenly become very angry. 0
phrase go ballistic If something goes ballistic, it suddenly becomes very much greater or more powerful, often in a surprising or unwanted way. 0
noun go ballistic to become enraged or frenziedly violent 0

See all 8 definitions of go ballistic

Information block about the term

Origin of go ballistic

First appearance:

before 1765

One of the 46% newest English words

First recorded in 1765-75; ballist(a) + -ic

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Go ballistic

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of Go ballistic

go ballistic popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 95% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.

Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

go ballistic usage trend in Literature

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Synonyms for go ballistic

verb go ballistic

crack up — If someone cracks up, they are under such a lot of emotional strain that they become mentally ill.
freak out — any abnormal phenomenon or product or unusual object; anomaly; aberration.
hit the ceiling — the overhead interior surface of a room.
wig out — an artificial covering of hair for all or most of the head, of either synthetic or natural hair, worn to be stylish or more attractive.
blow a gasket — to burst out in anger

All 24 Synonyms of go ballistic